Monthly Challenge for April

Theme: Emotional wellness.

Definition: In this context, your signature is a distinctive identity or series thereof, which relates to the intent of your action as well as your approach to engagement.
With various melodies associated with spring, identify a unique meaning that serves to reinforce your passion for growth and to spark your admiration towards a more profound way of living. As an example, the areas of improvement this month I seek to strengthen are emotional and spiritual fitness. This includes my appreciation of, and connection to, nature. I will work on the inner self in some form to bring about a more divine beauty.

Confucius stated: “To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue. These five gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.”
If you are out of touch with who you are and your needs today, there is a good possibility that you may be unable to fulfill those needs and, by default, you may experience some form of emotional despondency. Therefore, spending more time working on self-development is important. Additionally, take time to observe and appreciate the beauty of nature because this can be a point of balance during this particular phase of growth.

In order to develop in the select areas, there must be a conscious effort with identified goals. As for me, I will spend early morning hours in solitude, reading and meditating. I will plant new seeds and nourish them. I will enjoy spring gardening. And some part of my weekends will involve adventure hikes along the nature trails in the Great Smoky Mountains, Pisgah National Forest, or in other invigorating areas. By doing so, I will strengthen my ability to listen more carefully and think clearly before I respond to situations in life. When possible, I will pause and seek counsel before giving critical advice and / or taking action. Additionally, I will make better use of my time, talents, and resources as I seek to be of greater service to others. Emotionally, I will be a better me while growing spiritually.

Task:
The task is simple: Improve in a way to strengthen your inner peace and harmony, to be able to respond to different situations in a thoughtful way, and to share your graceful glow. This is a continuous effort. Og Mandino stated: “Always render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be.”

This month, identify your top two signature themes and outline ways that you will increase in application as well as inspire others in a measurable way. If emotional awareness is an area of your desire, not only identify ways to reduce your stress, but also ways to aid members of your family and inner circle by working to lower their pressures in life.

Internalize and identify at least three ways you intend to improve on the personal level. Ask yourself what is it that you seek to strengthen and why. Then, of course there is a period of research to find the most profitable approaches to satisfying the questions.

The task is to develop and implement a weekly plan of action that will have a measurable impact on you and those you deal with on a regular basis.

Measurement:
Weekly, assess the impact of your signature and its effect upon key aspects of your life. Example: If emotional and spiritual wellness are your focus areas, assess your growth, energy levels, and the reduction of psychological discomfort associated with each area. If you walk, increase your time and distance each week while meditating and entertaining healthy thoughts of becoming a better you.

Weekly, assess the impact of your actions. Know where you are growing and the changes made to become a better you. Identify things in your life that you can do differently today and tomorrow, and ways to bring out the best in yourself.

A personal example:
Self-regulation. Today and tomorrow, I am determined that my conversations and actions are inspiring and relevant to productivity, learning, and service in some capacity. I will regulate my outward expressions, to include comments, social media posting, advice, etc… to constructive output.

Results:
Attain positive patterns by devising a plan, following through, and assessing the impact. With each step, you are increasing in the understanding of, and the ability to, improve your emotional wellness. Furthermore, you will model the competencies that you desire to impart in others.

At the end of each day and each week, know that your actions are fostering inner alertness. A by-product of your growth is that in some form, you will inspire the development of those to your left and right.
As T. Harv Eker so eloquently stated, “If you want to change the fruits, you will first have to change the roots. If you want to change the visible, you must first change the invisible.”

Resources:
Personal development begins with you! Retrieved from
http://www.personal-development-inside-out.com/
Redmond, Brain F. (2015). Need Theories. Retrieved from
https://wikispaces.psu.edu/display/PSYCH484/2.+Need+Theories
Self-Awareness and Personal Development. Retrieved from
http://www.wright.edu/~scott.williams/LeaderLetter/selfawareness.htm
Spending time outdoors is good for you. Retrieved at
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/spending-time-outdoors-is-good-for-you

Quote:
“Despite the encounters we pass along the way, we see the beauty of God’s grace.
We see time-tested pillars of nature and a rainbow that ends with love.
What’s alive in us, lives in our soul.
We must bestow upon our young adults that which we borrow from the old.
Today, wisdom speaks as another flower grows.”
– Joe Shakeenab